NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The number of overdoses involving fentanyl has continued to rise in Tennessee.
The latest data from the state shows nearly 3,000 overdoses in 2022. The problem has increasingly affected one of Tennessee’s most vulnerable populations: children. Pamela Sessions, CEO of residential treatment center Renewal House , told News 2 that the facility has a waiting list.
Read the state health department’s full report here
“Renewal House is capable of housing 34 women at one time — and their children,” Sessions said. “We’re generally full most of the time.”
Renewal House has been considered a safe space, not only for women, but for children as well. Coming out of addiction and leading a life of recovery is the organization’s goal. Many times, residents leave behind environments that could quickly turn deadly.
“It’s very frightening that children even have access to obtain substances,” Sessions said.
According to state data, the number of children under the age of 18 who have died from a drug overdose has continued to rise year after year. While most of the deaths are teenagers, babies and toddlers have increasingly been at risk.